About
Bill Irwin, born April 11, 1950, in Santa Monica, is an American actor, clown, dancer, and choreographer. A graduate of Oberlin College and the Ringling Brothers Clown College, he co-founded the Pickle Family Circus in 1975, contributing to the American circus renaissance. A MacArthur Fellow in 1984, he is known for his works blending clowning and theater, such as The Regard of Flight and Fool Moon. A notable interpreter of Beckett, he won a Tony Award in 2005 for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. He is widely recognized as Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street.
* 1950-04-11
Major works
- The Regard of Flight (1982)stage show
- Largely New York (1989)stage show
- Fool Moon (1993)stage show
- Old Hats (2013)stage show
- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (2005)play
Key milestones
- 1975Co-founded the Pickle Family Circus in San Francisco.
- 1984Awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, the first active performing artist to receive one.
- 2005Won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.
Themes
Clowning and physical theaterBeckett interpretationCircus renaissanceComedy and slapstickChildren's education and entertainm
Sources: oxfordreference.com · researchworks.oclc.org